


touch me better after midnight

by iceice_ty



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Friends With Benefits, Implied/Referenced Sex, Introspection, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceice_ty/pseuds/iceice_ty
Summary: It all started as a joke. That’s what Doyoung tells himself every time it’s 2 am and he can’t sleep because he keeps turning his current predicament over and over in his head.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 11
Kudos: 115





	touch me better after midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes: This was supposed to be written in one sitting while After Midnight and Domino played on repeat, but instead took 3+ weeks and After Midnight and Domino on repeat. There is an accompanying playlist, listen along (not on shuffle) as you read to feel my Vibes. Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4gYM4P4PJvOUjCMERvZ3jm?si=CmjZbTtUSf2QzprNIF7tBg  
> Based very slightly on real life experiences; also I'm sorry Johnny's a little bit of a dick in this one, I promise I love him very much this is not how i perceive him as a person.  
> Also a million and one thanks to my beta Lili (@lilyanna) for hyping this up on the to for weeks and then correcting all my grammar issues, you are a real one!

It all started as a joke. That’s what Doyoung tells himself every time it’s 2 am and he can’t sleep because he keeps turning his current predicament over and over in his head. 

It had all started as a joke, a comment thrown offhand into a conversation about Johnny’s new favorite song. “I just really wanna make out with someone to this song,” Johnny says, casual and offhand as he texts the Spotify link to Doyoung. It was some Chase Atlantic song and Doyoung feels himself roll his eyes, his mouth opening to snarking back before he could think about his response.

“You had your chance for that,” he points out. Johnny’s jaw drops, and a startled laugh seems to come unbidden from his throat. It wasn’t an untrue statement, Johnny and Doyoung went on two dates after being introduced by mutual friend Jaehyun at the start of the semester. Johnny had sort of nicely let Doyoung down a week later, citing the inability to settle down with someone right now as his reason for calling it off. It had been an ego blow, stinging at the moment, but a month later and Johnny is one of Doyoung’s good friends. 

“You can’t just clown me for that.” Johnny protests weakly, and Doyoung shoots him an unimpressed look. He opens his mouth to speak but Johnny sighs deeply, cutting him off and he tilts his head towards Doyoung. “I concede, you can clown me for that.” Doyoung giggles softly and pushes gently at Johnny’s shoulder. 

“Glad we finally agree.” They sit in companionable silence for a few minutes, Doyoung listening to the recommended song through headphones while Johnny scrolls through some social media app. Doyoung understands why Johnny would want to make out with someone to the song, it has a slow, rolling bass, and the song just feels sexy, something to be played softly over speakers in the dark. “I see what you mean,” he voices, breaking the quiet between them. Johnny glances up.

“Yeah? It’s something about the bass right?” Doyoung nods, he’d just thought the same thing. Johnny hums noncommittally and they lapse back into silence, broken moments later by Johnny. “Did you see Alpha Kappa Phi is having a party tonight? You going?” Doyoung had seen there was a frat party tonight, and Alpha Kappa Phi is his personal favorite for parties, especially since he was very close friends with several of the brothers. He didn’t have any classes tomorrow morning, and as long as he didn’t have more than a few drinks he should be fine. 

“I didn’t plan to, but if you want company I’ll go with you.” Doyoung offers, it’d been a while since he’d gone out anyways. Johnny smiles widely, his eyes going all sparkly. 

“Yeah dude, that’d be great. Wanna ask Taeyong to come too? I know Jae would appreciate it.” He sounds so hopeful Doyoung can’t help but snort and roll his eyes. 

“Would he now?” Doyoung asks, dripping sarcasm, and Johnny at least has the sense to look a little pink for asking. “Well,” Doyoung continues, “Taeyong doesn’t usually like to go out on weekdays, but I know he doesn’t have any classes tomorrow, just work in the evening, so I’ll try and convince him.” Johnny lights up and Doyoung feels his heart melt just a little. An unfortunate side effect of still harboring a crush on the giant.

Johnny wraps an arm around Doyoung like an excited toddler. “Thanks so much! Jae won’t shut up about him, but he’s too worried about bothering Taeyong’s routine to ask him to the party himself.” Doyoung scoffs. 

“Are you kidding me? Every Tuesday I get a play-by-play of their shared class.” Doyoung shakes his head to himself, wiggling out of Johnny’s grip in a manner he hopes isn’t to obvious. “I’m surrounded by lovesick idiots I swear.” Johnny guffaws loudly at that, slapping a large hand down onto Doyoung’s shoulder. Immediately Doyoung feels the heat radiating across his shoulder and he fights the urge to shrug off Johnny’s hand again. 

“Then I guess I’m your favorite friend, eh? I promise I’m not lovesick at all” Johnny smirks and wiggles his eyebrows teasingly; Doyoung chuckles weakly but  _ did _ shrug Johnny off that time. 

“Yeah, maybe you are.” He says softly, no longer feeling the joking mood. Because that was the catch, wasn’t it? That Johnny didn’t like him any more than he likes Jaehyun or Taeyong or Yuta. Johnny doesn’t seem to notice his shift in mood and is still laughing at his own joke. Doyoung starts gathering up his stuff from the table they were sprawled at. “Hey, I’m gonna head back to my dorm. I’ll meet you at yours at 9?” He asks, and Johnny cocks his head for a second, eyes scanning Doyoung’s face before seeming to brush off whatever it is he thought he heard in Doyoung’s voice. 

“Yeah, sure. See you soon!” He raises a hand as a wave goodbye, and Doyoung returns the gesture before pivoting on his heel and walking away, a slow tightening in his stomach. 

🌃 

Doyoung will always be grateful for Lee Taeyong. Despite their constant bickering and nagging, the two had been freshman roommates and were each other’s best friend. Doyoung had called Taeyong as he walked to his dorm, and surprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly) Taeyong had agreed to go as soon as he heard that party was hosted by Jaehyun’s frat. Taeyong had shown up at Doyoung’s dorm at 8 pm, bringing the tightest jeans Doyoung has ever seen and two bottles of soju, one peach and one plain. 

“He said  _ what _ ?!” Taeyong screeches, halfway through his soju and the lengthy process of squeezing himself into those jeans. Doyoung would doubt Taeyong, even being skinny bitch he is, could actually fit into them if he hadn’t seen his friend do it multiple times. Doyoung laughs incredulously at the strength of the reaction from Taeyong.

“I know! He told me this was a song he wanted to make out with someone to, and then he  _ sent it _ to me. What the fuck does that mean?’ Doyoung has finished his soju and is smudging some light gray shadow around the line of his eyes, and his free hand manages to gesture wildly without disturbing the process. It’s a talent many pre-party freak-outs have perfected and Doyoung is always proud of his freshman self for figuring out the technique. Taeyong is finally in his pants and perusing Doyoung’s t-shirt drawer, looking for who-knows-what since he brought a shirt of his own. He looks up and stares Doyoung down. 

“I don’t know what it means, but it’s a little sus. Doyoung, be careful, okay?” Taeyong hesitates for a second, glances away from Doyoung, swallows another gulp of soju before finishing his thought. “I know you two have, uh, history together. And I know you still have feelings for him. I don’t know what Johnny’s intentions are, but promise me you’ll be careful?” The  _ I don’t want you to get hurt _ is implied. Doyoung nods, Taeyong’s strange and sudden somberness affecting him too. 

“I’ll be fine Tae, he’s not gonna hurt me, we’re just friends anyways. And Johnny is a good guy, I’ll be fine.” Doyoung realizes belatedly he had insisted he’d be fine twice, a fact that makes Taeyong hesitate, unwilling to point out Doyoung’s lack of answer to his request, but he eventually nods and holds up two of Doyoung’s shirts, the moment having passed. 

“Ok Doie. Now which one of these is gonna make Jaehyun drool over me?” he asks, mouth curving up mischievously, and Doyoung laughs loudly, trying to shake off the seriousness of Taeyong’s warning. 

🌌

The party was in full swing by the time Doyoung, Taeyong, and Johnny arrive. Doyoung and Taeyong picked up Johnny from his dorm without incident, just a quick “you both look great” from Johnny and they were off. Johnny’s dorm was only five minutes from the frat house and the three made small talk until they arrived. Jaehyun is on door duty and manages to stumble over all three of the sentences he says to them as he lets them in, eyes never leaving Taeyong. Doyoung definitely caught him checking out his best friend’s ass as Taeyong bounces away towards some dance friends. Doyoung shoots Jaehyun a  _ Look _ and Jaehyun’s ears flush a brilliant red while Johnny just cackles, head tipped back. Doyoung decides he needed another drink. A strong one. 

Doyoung has been dancing for about an hour when he catches a glimpse of Taeyong’s pink hair slipping up the staircase, dragging a bewildered Jaehyun behind him. Doyoung chuckles to himself, earning himself a questioning noise in his ear from Yuta, who had dragged Doyoung to the dance floor in the first place. Doyoung simply nods in Taeyong’s direction and was rewarded with an understanding “ah” from Yuta, who was dancing close behind Doyoung. They had an odd dynamic, Yuta and him, Doyoung thought. Yuta is madly in love with a foreign exchange student, Winwin, but since the day he had met Doyoung in their shared stats class freshman year, he’d flirted hard voraciously with Doyoung. Doyoung didn’t really think of Yuta as more than a friend, but it’s almost comforting to have someone you can make dirty jokes with and dance to whatever club remix was playing overhead without worrying about it being weird in the morning. 

“Jaehyun looks like Taeyong is going to eat him,” Yuta remarks with a smirk into Doyoung’s ear, a hand falling against Doyoung’s hip as they swayed together. Doyoung tipped his head back onto Yuta’s shoulder and laughed. 

“He probably will. But it’s probably just the shock, I know Jae gives as good as he gets.” Doyoung revels in the faux-scandalized look Yuta shoots him. 

“I need another drink before I start contemplating that statement Doie. You want one?” Doyoung rights himself, removing his weight from Yuta. 

“Nah, I cut myself off a while ago, I have to function tomorrow.” Yuta nods. 

“Okay dude, catch you around.” Doyoung waves as Yuta walked away and then closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of just moving to the music. He dances by himself, or as close as one can get to by oneself in a crowded frat living room, for a song before a voice in his ear scares the shit out of him. 

“You dance quite well” it rumbles, and Doyoung jolts a foot clean in the air, wheeling around to see who it was that spoke to him. It was Johnny, hair a bit more disheveled than when they arrived, his shirt unbuttoned one more button than at the start of the party. But his lips aren’t bruised or swollen or red, so Doyoung is willing to bet it’s just Ten descending on Johnny to “give him a fashion sense” as he likes to describe it. 

“Jesus fucking Christ Johnny, you gave me a heart attack!” Doyoung shouts, a hand over his heart in a vain attempt to slow down it’s frantic thudding. Whether it was from the shock or just  _ Johnny _ is a secret he will take to his grave. Johnny laughs and puts a hand on Doyoung’s shoulder. Doyoung is just tipsy enough to lean into it. 

“Sorry Doyoung, sorry. I was just surprised, I don’t usually see you dance at parties.” Doyoung shrugs, but is careful not to dislodge Johnny’s hand. How is he always so warm? 

“I don’t, but the music is good tonight and Yuta wanted to.” Johnny laughs a little at that, but it doesn’t quite make his eyes. 

“Ah, of course. What Yuta wants, Yuta gets.” Doyoung nods vigorously, Johnny gets it. Yuta has what Ten refers to as “coochie eyes” and employs them every chance he gets in order to get his way. Johnny’s hand is still on Doyoung’s shoulder and it suddenly occurs to Doyoung that they are standing still in a writhing crowd of drunk college students. 

“Come on, dance with me. Since you’re so fascinated” Doyoung allows his smirk to go coy, his hands sliding up Johnny’s arms to rest on his biceps. Doyoung is usually so careful not to cross the boundaries of friendship with Johnny, not like he does with Taeyong and Yuta regularly. But he’s just tipsy enough, just loose enough from all the dancing to allow himself this one small, selfish pleasure. Johnny seems a bit confused, a bit lost as to where the request is coming from, but his hand finds its way down Doyoung’s arm and to his waist, leaving a burning trail in its wake. The song transitions smoothly into the next, something with a steady, rolling bass and crooning lyrics. It sounds almost sad, but a horny kind of sad. Doyoung can relate. He sways to the song, hips rocking side to side in languid circles, one hand coming off of Johnny’s arm to accent his motions. Doyoung doesn’t like to dance when he can see himself, but now, with his eyes half-lidded and Johnny’s hot hand on him, he feels amazing, riding the bass with small hitches of his hips like Taeyong always guides him to do. Johnny loosens up slowly by degrees, and as the first song slides into the second, then the third he enjoys himself more and more, allows himself to touch Doyoung a bit more, get more creative with his motions. 

Doyoung loses track of how many songs have played when a familiar echo-ey guitar intro and stuttering bass fades in. It’s the song Johnny had shown him earlier. Doyoung opens his eyes all the way and finds Johnny’s, and tilts his head inquisitively. “Your song?” he questions, mouth dry. He swallows to clear his throat. Johnny nods. 

“Yeah, I know. Jae helped make the playlist and I showed him the song too. Makes a good party song doesn’t it?” Doyoung nods his head in agreement and starts to lead Johnny in dancing, placing his hands on Johnny’s hips and guiding him to follow the beat. Doyoung himself lets his hips and chest roll in smooth, pulsing waves. They fall silent as they all-but grind against each other, precious inches between their bodies. They’re about halfway through the song when an idea lights up Doyoung’s brain, lightning crackling down his spine as he considers the implications of what he’s about to do. Objectively, it is  _ beyond _ stupid. But it would feel so nice, and Doyoung is feeling reckless and selfish under the influence of the pounding bass and the heat from Johnny’s body. He rocks forward, placing his hands on Johnny’s shoulders, and speaks directly into Johnny’s ear. 

“Did you mean it earlier?” he breathes out, and Johnny shivers slightly under his touch. That alone sends Doyoung higher on adrenaline, heart pounding and hands sweating. Doyoung is so close he can hear Johnny’s rough swallow. 

“What?” He croaks out. Doyoung moves even closer, lips brushing the shell of Johnny’s ear. 

“When you showed me this song, did you mean it?” He asks more emphasis on the question at the end. Johnny pulls back, far enough away from Doyoung to meet his eyes, search his face. And search Johnny does. Doyoung feels the heat of Johnny’s gaze moving across his face, meeting his eyes, seeping across his cheeks, lingering on his lips. Doyoung’s tongue darts out to wet his lips. Johnny breathes out a long, heavy breath, and Doyoung swears he can feel Johnny’s pulse thudding against his palms, which have slid up to the juncture between Johnny’s neck and shoulders. Maybe that’s his own pulse, pounding along with the bass, amplified from the adrenaline. Johnny’s hands flex at Doyoung’s waist and Doyoung’s breath hitches. 

“I did” Johnny finally breathes out, and the only reason Doyoung can hear him is that they’re so  _ close _ . Doyoung feels his lips melt into a smirk. 

“Do you want to test out your theory?” Johnny shivers at the question, fingers tightening at Doyoung’s waist, nudging his hips closer. Doyoung tilts his head to the side slightly. They hang in a strange stillness, chests heaving and bodies around them, but in their bubble, the only sounds are mingling breaths and heartbeats thudding in time with the music. Doyoung swears he feels the song in his bones. 

“Doyoung…”Johnny trails off, but he doesn’t pull back, the tension stifling between them. Doyoung feels a burn in his lungs and he realizes he’s holding his breath. Then Johnny’s closing the distance and warm lips are pressing against Doyoung’s. It's a long, slow kiss but before Doyoung can respond Johnny is pulling back just far enough to meet Doyoung’s eyes in an unspoken question. Doyoung nods almost imperceptibly and Johnny dives back in. It’s a bit tentative at first, small dry brushes of lips on lips, before Johnny’s hand slides up Doyoung’s spine and cups the back of his head, changing the angle slightly and deepening the kiss. Doyoung opens his mouth into the kiss a bit more and his fingers curl into the collar of Johnny’s shirt. He feels a glancing wet brush of a tongue and responds in kind. His whole body is on fire, heart rabbiting against his sternum. He wants  _ more _ , he can feel Johnny’s thigh slotting between his legs and they press closer to each other. 

“Do you wanna go upstairs?” Johnny gets out between kisses and Doyoung makes a sound halfway between a hum and a moan. 

“Yeah, sure. Lead the way” he reluctantly steps back a little, takes in his surroundings. The party is still loud, and Doyoung is sure a few people were staring at them as they had shamelessly made out in the middle of the living room. Distantly he wonders if Yuta and Ten were cackling like the hyenas they are if they came back from the kitchen and saw them. He’d hear about it later if they had. Johnny takes his hand and half-drags him to the stairway, the same stairway Taeyong had led Jaehyun up what feels like forever ago. Huh. Guess both of them were getting some tonight, good times. 

Johnny leads them to an unmarked door and he knocks before pushing it open. It is thankfully empty. Doyoung shuts the door behind him and suddenly it’s too quiet. The pounding music from downstairs is only faintly audible, and now, standing a few feet apart Doyoung feels strangely sober. Doyoung has been doing a fairly good job ignoring the repercussions of his actions up until this point, but the stillness of the room reminds him. 

“Uh, are you okay?” Johnny asks hesitantly, and he reaches out a hand to place on Doyoung’s forearm. He hadn’t even realized he was crossing them across his chest. “You look a little spooked. We can go back downstairs…” Johnny trails off, almost looking disappointed at the thought. 

“No! I,” Doyoung pauses. The words feel too unreal to say, too  _ true _ . “I want to, John” The quiet words feel out of place, too soft for their situation. Doyoung distantly wonders if Johnny is also experiencing the strange sobriety. Johnny’s eyes are searching his face again, and Doyoung wishes he could read minds, maybe just that he could read Johnny well enough to know what the tightness in his brow meant. 

“I want to too,” Johnny starts, hand slipping off of Doyoung. He had forgotten it was even there. “But is it a good idea? I know you….” Johnny swallows and glances at his shows for a beat before looking up. “I know you still have some residual feelings for me. I don’t want to take advantage of you, I’d feel too guilty.” 

Doyoung wants to be reassured by the question, wants to feel secure knowing that Johnny is at his heart a kind man and doesn’t want to hurt him or the delicate friendship they’ve built. But he’s not. He can’t be when his stomach drops cold as he realizes Johnny cares more about his own feelings than Doyoung’s. But he’s still distantly horny and he  _ wants _ . He wants Johnny, even if it’s just one night. Even if it’s just as friends. “I’ll be fine,” he says finally, breaking the tense silence. “Seriously, it’s like the government, I can separate the church and state.” Johnny laughs at the joke, posture relaxing. The room feels a little less hostile. 

“If you’re sure, dude. Just as long as you know there’s no romance in it from me. You’re a hot dude who I like to chill with, no more.” Johnny says it casually, laughing a little even as he walks backward and sits on the edge of the bed, and Doyoung swallows down the intense bitterness at the back of his throat. He glances at the clock on the bedside table, not too late, just after midnight. He settles his resolve. 

“I’m sure. Who’s room is this anyway?” He forces himself to sound casual as he slowly moves towards Johnny, always towards Johnny. 

“It’s a guest room. I sleep here sometimes if Jae has me over really late.” Johnny explains distractedly, eyeing Doyoung up and down as he comes closer. Doyoung stops when he’s standing in between Johnny’s thighs and Johnny’s hands almost instinctively wrap around the backs of Doyoung’s thighs. 

“Ah,” Doyoung starts, but Johnny cuts him off. 

“Can we save the 20 questions for pillow talk?” He asks lowly, pulling Doyoung to straddle him. Doyoung feels another flash of clarity. This is… a bad idea. He’s just desperate enough to go along with this, to talk himself into believing he’ll be fine with this come daybreak. But this means more to him than it does to Johnny. On the other hand, Johnny’s large, hot palms are pressing trails of heat along his thighs and ass, kneading and needy. And Doyoung  _ wants _ . Wants to feel like someone cares for him, wants the reminders in the form of bruises around his collar. Johnny might have shot him down romantically and if this is the best he gets, then so be it. 

Doyoung leans in close and fits his mouth to Johnny’s, all tongue and teeth, and Johnny groans quietly into the kiss, hands grabbing at Doyoung’s waist and ass. Doyoung responds by clutching Johnny’s shoulders, pulling him close, closer, until there isn’t even an inch of space between their chests. Doyoung flexes his core, pushing his chest and shoulders forward, toppling them onto the bed and knocking Johnny’s breath from his chest. The taller is quick to flip them, half tossing Doyoung further up onto the bed and settling between his legs. Doyoung pants hard into the kiss, fingers tangled in Johnny’s shirt, grasping him tight as he rolls them over again and again as the clock on the bedside table ticks on. 

🌃

Doyoung wakes up the next morning, heading throbbing dully and no idea how he got to his own dorm. The last thing he can clearly remember is how  _ talented _ Johnny is with his tongue. After that, events only come in quick flashes. So much for functioning today, it seems like post-hookup past-Doyoung had decided more vodka was in order before he left. Except, Doyoung doesn’t like vodka, only drinks it with--oh. Johnny likes vodka, mixes it into anything. It’s like a key has slid home into a lock and the memories tumble out into his brain. Doyoung relives the heat of Johnny’s hands and lips and… God, how was he so stupid? He remembers sloppily getting redressed, legs still shaky and sensitive as Johnny kept his eyes down, away from Doyoung. Once they were both presentable again Johnny had offered to mix them both a drink _ “You know, between friends” _ Johnny had said. Doyoung had agreed, still riding his high. Things are fuzzier after that vodka cranberry, stronger than Doyoung would normally drink. There’s the vague impression in his mind of slowly walking home, his arm around Taeyong’s shoulders. 

Doyoung slowly sat up, his feet hitting the old rug under his bed. He drops his head into his hands and fights the urge to sob. Taeyong was right, he didn’t know Johnny’s intentions, but the right move was  _ definitely _ not to hook up at a party, especially not after Johnny had made it clear that it was a one-time, no-feelings deal. God, he was so stupid. But in a twisted way, Doyoung felt more at peace. Like he had gotten something out of his system. Doyoung took a long, wet breath and stood up. He could hear the faint sounds of Taeyong puttering around in the kitchen and he knew he’d feel better after some food and a strong cup of green tea. What was that thing Ten always said while choreographing? Two steps forward, one step back. Yeah. This was maybe more than one step back, but he’d make it back to where he started. 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter: [https://twitter.com/iceice_ty](url)


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